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Might this help with idea`s...? http://www.metalsmith.co.uk/wagon-turntable.htm Brian.

That`s not good.....do 'they' reside on here Mike..? would you like some of us to go round and an bend their coupling rod`s in Half...!! Back on topic.. I`m liking the narrow boat scene,but knowing nothing about barges,i would`nt have known that it had the wrong shaped cabin. nice work... Brian.

Too late....... Brian.

Well on the complete polar opposite to your post Chris.I brought some 'multi purpose' (brass-solder -etc) blackening from Hobby Holidays at Telford this year, and all you get is 'Caution irritant,was off with water'....... Mind you, after seeing how quick it worked on some brass buffer shank`s,i`m not going to drink it anytime soon!!. Brian.

I`m really lov`in your series of photo`s and descripitions Chaz. It give`s us a nice insight into your methods and the way that you`ve gone about detailing the layout. Thanks for taking the time to post these....Super stuff..... Brian.

Thanks Simon for the offer,much appreciated. I`ve only been down that way once,and it certainly is a beautiful part of the country,so i do slightly envy you!. It`s also good to know that it look`s the part as well..... On the build front,not much has happened with this apart from laying & staining the sleepers.For these i`ve used balsa wood & i will also use code 100 flat bottom rail (60 -70lb) spiked straight to the sleepers,this is from Karlgrin models. I`ve gone down this route,because the Colonel`s EKR was still laid with FB rail for siding`s toward`s the end,and i just happen to have it left over from my US modeling so that`s a bonus!. Anyhow it`ll be a couple of week`s before i start any more, as i`ve got the track to lay on my permanent home layout...... Cheers, Brian.

To be honest i know next to nothing about oast houses,kent and the colonel`s railways,so it`s a bit of luck rather than planning that the style and location sort of fit!. I did a search for said oast house pictures,and came across a couple,most of which you`ve rightly pointed out are round.But whilst some of the round ones were very nice they looked to much like a scottish castle,with the round tower on the end,so i plumbed for the one that i`ve attached as my basis.I `ve also choosen not to include (rightly or wrongly) the kiln towers on the backscene as they will be a bit flat looking,and plus you won`t see the top`s either,because of their size.Of course i could build the side elevation instead of the front and include the tower as well?. Anyhow,it`s located at Hoaden a mile and half (north/west) from Ash, so it sort of could fit in with the Colonel`s East Kent Railway.And as a friend showed me over the weekend it`s not that far fetched as an idea,because there was a line/long siding (with runround!) built to serve a farm off the tollesbury branch line in East Anglia...... Brian.

The show this year was excellent again,in fact so much so that me and my mate nearly ran out of time looking at all the goodies on offer. And like last year,the numpty that i am did`nt check the batteries in the camera properly again,so i could only take a few shot`s of the layouts i liked...... Anyhow,here are some pictures of the five layout`s i liked,each for a different reason. Craig Wen, (white rock) a nice simple small layout with some interesting operational potential. On a personal note i think this could be really be detailed to death,so it could have more of an industrial feel to it,but then that`s just me..... Thanasse Cabusart, something different..... Wolf Lowe, again abit different with some interesting scene`s to look at. Pavilion End, Really liked this one,a simple track plan with a really nice overall look to it. Harlyn Pier, for me this was the best layout at the show.....Beautifully done,with lots of little details to see here and there...could have watched this all day..... Brian.

here you go. Hummm.......does this count as helping the competition...... Baseboards are looking good though. Brian.

That`s a good idea,it could help to cover some of your development cost`s. Brian.

Like what Andi said!. I`m sure there would be a few poeple out there that would like one of those for themselves Rich,nice job.... Brian.

Thanks Paul, I think my wandering day`s should be at an end with this new direction.......! As for this, it`s a little side project that i`ll build whilst i make a start on the 'new' home layout,but more to come on that later. Thanks for looking, Brian.

OK guy`s and gal`s, I have taken the decision to abandon this project in favor of a new one. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/125754-ash-farm-kent/&do=findComment&comment=2835515 As i`d said in my previous post i`ve been scribbling away trying to get things to work,but try as i might it`s not going to in the space i`ve set myself. ie;trying to hide the two road exit is not going to happen, without taking a chunk out of the 4 foot viewing area,and also the bridge i was going to use covers half of the run round track as well!!. So thanks for views and the 'likes',and i`ll see you down on the farm!. Cheers, Brian.

Welcome to my 'new' cameo layout Ash farm... This one now replaces 'Jack`s siding' for reason`s i`ve explained there. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/125224-jacks-siding/&do=findComment&comment=2823931 Anyhow to Ash farm; It is set in the county of kent during the early 50`s,and is a freelanced idea based around a hop farm oast house. The farm was in it`s day a large producer of kentish hop`s and as such had a railhead built from the end of a near by branch line,much in the style of Colonel stephens light railways. But now with diminishing traffic and being operated by BR,it has a slight air of neglect about the place.So, weed covered and infilled track, (to a degree) are the stapples of the day,along with trains that only have two or three wagons at most,and these are propelled in front of the engine.That is unless it`s a van of stores,in which case it`ll be behind the engine for the reversed siding. Motive power will be either a A1X Terrier or a P class loco due to the light trackage,and stock will be low sided wooden open wagons for loading hop`s into,along with the odd coal wagon for the oast house and an occasional van of supplies. All of this will also be in 7mm scale. The layout it`s self is a self contained box measuring 13 x 72.5 x 16 inches,with a viewing area of 4 foot,and a traverser located in the remaining area.It will also be at a height of 42-46 inches of the ground,so viewing will be from a seated position.Though i will operate it standing up!!. Rather than repeat the pictures of the layout box here,i have done a quick drawing showing the basic form of what i`m going for. The major elements are shown, ie;track layout and the main buildings. Of course there will be more detail and smaller features to add,but hopefully as i go along it`ll develop a bit more character.... Brian.

Interesting looking layout,with the 'walk-in' front,or is there another board to fit in the space?. I have to admit that i did`nt know what gauge 3 was ......till i looked it up,and it`s quite big! Brian.

Thanks Peter for the comment. This is going to be a very slooow build to begin with,as i`m still figuring out what to put where and how it might look. So for the time being i`m just scribbling on bit`s of paper,rather than modeling!. Cheer`s, Brian.

And I have just checked and I don't think I am Trainman 864 either, it is quite an amusing thought though. Nor am I Spartacus before the first mate of MV Ferret starts piping up…. And a chours rang out across the exhibtion hall........ 'No i am Trainman 864.......' Brian.

This is going to be very nice,if you go by your other layout... Brian.

I`ve read through those post`s many a time,and it is a superb layout. But what i like the most about is the miniature engineering involved,and there are some very impressive metal working skill`s on show there. Are you going in a different direction now,given you`ve got the NER NS1 kit on the go?. Brian.

And they say size does`nt matter...!! Brian.

Thanks for the detailed reply`s guy`s. I do intened to buy the volumes of the OPC Southern Wagon books in the near future. But going on what you`ve both described, i think i shall end up with two of these brake vans,one in grey and the other in brown. But in the meantime i shall model the preserved example,(s55371) as it was just before being sold to the RAE in 55`. It`ll also mean i can slightly alter the kit so it`s an earlier re-built example with the additional closed balcony. I was`nt too sure what you mean`t about the 'double top rail' on the verandah Paul,but after seeing the photo below it`s now clear!. SECR 6 wheel brake van at Wittersham rd station,K&ESR. photo by Michael Roots,on Wikimedia Commons Brian.

Thanks Graham, Would i be correct in thinking that the ones that were re-paint in unfitted grey still retain their Southern running numbers,but with a 'S' prefix?. And also, the ones that retained their SR good`s brown livery, might some of them have lasted till the early 50`s?. Brian. *edit* Just noticed your post Paul, Thanks for the extra info that`s also help`s quite a bit,i shall do some more digging...

HI Guy`s i`m after a bit of help please. I recently taken the decision to ditch my US O scale in favor of modeling the SR during the 1950`S BR era in 7mm. Anyhow the up shot is,i`ve brought a Slater`s 7mm SECR 6 wheel goods brake van to start with,with the intention of modeling it as it would have been during it`s last day`s. My problem is that i can`t seem to find any photo`s online of them in BR day`s.And the only picture of have of one is in the mike king book 'southern wagons in colour', but that`s after it`s been sold to the RAE in Farnbourgh. So are there any out there,or do i have to buy the OPC SECR wagon book?. Thanks in advance,(from a complete Southern newbie) Brian.

Oh dear,looks like i`m going to have to out 'master' the 'master' if you build one!! I find your detail is intimidating,and more i re-read through pages the more i find. Sublime sir... Brian.